Longtime Spirit Rock community member and benefactor Leslie Rall passed away in December 2010. Leslie had been a generous supporter for some time, but we were truly astonished to discover that she had bequeathed an incredible gift of $650,000 to Spirit Rock! During the last decade of her life, she became deeply connected to Spirit Rock and particularly the stewardship and preservation of the 400 acres of land that we occupy. In Spirit Rock, Leslie found an anchor and a place of peace, renewal and connection... Read more >

Spirit Rock: The Next 100 Years

With Your Help, Coming Soon--A New Community Hall

The next time you enter the Community Meditation Hall, please take a moment and look at the new wall display on the left as you enter. It highlights plans for the approved permanent buildings Spirit Rock will build to replace the old trailers in the meadow, including a new Community Hall. You can also view it here... Read more >

Dan Siegel at Spirit Rock: An Exclusive Interview

Dan Siegel returned to Spirit Rock on February 18 to offer a benefit workshop "An Integrative Guide to the Mind," based on his new book A Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology. Listening to him teach reminds one of the quote attributed to Einstein, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." It was clear that Dan deeply understands his material and enjoys sharing it with the Spirit Rock sangha. He is a generous and engaging teacher, taking questions and at one point gathering a group of people for some impromptu singing to demonstrate how complex systems naturally move toward simplification. We are grateful for Dan's continued support of Spirit Rock! Read more >

LIVE CALLBring Your Most Important Dharma Question

On Wednesday March 7, from 12 noon - 1 pm PST, Spirit Rock senior teachers Sylvia Boorstein and James Baraz will co-host a free LIVE conference call for members of the Sangha of Thousands of Buddhas AND the extended Spirit Rock community. It's a gift to you all! Please email your practice questions in advance to sylviab@spiritrock.org.

Special Note: We invite all Sangha of Thousands of Buddhas members to attend this event as our guest (no-fee), in appreciation for their support for the SRMC Capital Campaign.

The theme of this workshop is the benefits of practice. Sylvia Boorstein will guide participants in an essential integration of meditation with daily life. Clifford Saron will explore how remarkably adaptable (and maladaptable) we are, and the difficulties and possibilities of change. He will also provide insights from basic neuroscience and the research work he leads investigating the effects of meditation practice on attention and emotion. Cellist Barbara Bogatin will illustrate how expert musicians turn required practice into contemplative practice, providing a rare "glimpse from within" of the discipline of maintaining a high level of craft. She will perform several musical examples that inspire an understanding of how the depths of human creative expression are also present and accessible in the symphony of our sensory awareness.

The day will consist of sitting practice, guided listening, informal talks and dialogue among the presenters and active engagement with participants during ample discussion periods. Tea will be provided.

Spirit Rock's intention is to make the teachings accessible to everyone as much as possible, and for most events no one is turned away for lack of funds. While our fees for daylongs and classes are kept as low as possible, we offer partial and full scholarships for those who cannot afford the fee. There is also a flexible volunteer/work exchange program. To learn more and participate, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at (415) 488-0164 x 224.

Scholarships are offered for residential retreats through our scholarship fund. Selected retreats have a limited number of beds offered at a Young Adult (age 18-26) rate available on a first-come, first-served basis. Work exchange opportunities are also available in the kitchen or with housekeeping. Read more >

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